The operating efficiency of commercial and military aircraft may depend upon the efficient use of the volume of space within the aircraft's fuselage. Optimizing the use of fuselage volume may allow the aircraft to carry higher payloads of passengers and/or cargo. The ability to carry higher revenue payloads reduces operating expenses relative to revenue, while simultaneously reducing fuel burn per seat-kilometer and/or tonne-kilometer, and also reducing CO2 production per seat-kilometer and/or tonne-kilometer. The challenge of optimizing the use of available fuselage volume is complicated by the need to provide for passenger comfort and safety while accommodating associated cargo requirements. Finally, passenger cabin layout and design must take into consideration the need for crash landing energy absorption in lower areas of the fuselage.
Two approaches that have been used in the past to increase passenger capacity of existing aircraft are to stretch the aircraft body, or increase the passenger abreast count. The former approach can keep the ratio of the passenger seat count and cargo capacity roughly the same, but can also change aircraft takeoff and landing parameters, and sometimes involves a redesign of aircraft wings and/or the use of different engines. The latter approach can involve the use of narrower aircraft seats and/or local carving of body frames inboard. Unfortunately, this approach generally reduces passenger comfort, and can involve significant redesign of aircraft structural components.
Accordingly, there is a need for an aircraft fuselage that optimizes use of fuselage volume while increasing passenger capacity and satisfying the need for passenger safety and comfort with adequate cargo storage. The disclosed embodiments are intended to address one or more of the above issues.